Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-08-26

nao tne Same terllDe tale OF blood
not overtaken by he trools, but the scene Of
the massacre was visited and t dead given
Christ an burial. Their of1ic:al report was to
the effect that forty-one had been killed
twelve missing, .hree badly wounded, two
prisoners.
INTERESTING ENEECIsEs.
The programme was quite long and
varied, each feature being pertinent to the
occasion, and possessing absorbing in
terest, especially to tho older settlers in
whose memory the stirring events of the
long ago are yet green, and to them the ro-
mantle scenery about Spirit Lake has q
history Of deep and startling interest.
Mr.. Allrich, in the course of his remarks,
said:
We have placed conspicuously upon this
beautiful memorial tablet the names of
Mrs. VIM. L. Church, and her sister, Mrs.
Drusilla Stranger. with high tribute TO
those heroines. Why we have t!one this
will briefly explain. Not many months be-
fore the massacre the Churches bad settled
at Spr. ngfeld, Mimi, some fifteen miles
from Spirit Lake, AMI about eight miles
north Of the Iowa line.
At the time of the massacre in the abb
sence of MIR. Church to this county, his
| wife was living in their log house, with her
news came to this settlemsnt-ot four or
five families-of the murders at Spirit
Lake the people assembled at the home OF
MIR. Thomas, one of the settlers, and pre-
pared to defend themselves. This was
what is called double log house-quite
large building for that locality at that day
and standing in the margin of the oak
groves, not far from the west branch of the
Des Moines river. There werein the party
Mr.. Thomas, his wife and five children;
Mrs. Church, sister and two children; Mis-.
Strong and two children; Miss Ella Gdrl-
ner, Jareb Palmer, David Carver and john
Bradshaw. just
after they assembled, two young men,
whose names have forgotten, volunteered
to go on foot to Fort Ridgely, seventy-fve
miles away, and appeal to the commandant
for aid. Those who were left were we'll
armed, reasonably provisioned, stout Of
heart, and determined 10 make the best de-
tense in their power, if they should be as
sailed. A week had nearly passed when
little Willie Thomas. aged 9, came running
in, exclaiming that ''the boys were COM
ing" who had gone for the soldiers! This
was good news, and tho people rushed to
the door, forming little group just OUT
coming, dressed like whites, but they were
Indians in the clothing of the men killed
ut Spirit Lake. just then, the main purity
of the Indians, who were approaching from
another direction, fred volley from q
dozen places into the group of men, women
and children near the door. Willie Thomas
was shot through the head and fell to the
ground. Miss Swanger was shot through
the shoulder, inficting a flesh wound.
Thomas was shot through the left arm.
which was broken and bled profusely.
Co, 81,
time suffered the severest pain. All except
the wounded boy rushed into the house
and speedily barricaded the doors and
windows. In fact, the poor boy seemed to
be forgotten ut the instant. But it mat
tered little, in the result. This firing on
| both sides now became hot and frequent,
and continued for two or three hours.
Port holes were made on the four sides
of the house by removing the 'schinking"
from between the logs. Through these
the beseiged could plainly see the Indians
without exposing themselves. Whenever
an Indian showed himself he was fred
eral times, however, the red devils made
q rush toward the house, which they wish
ed to set on fire, but each time discretion
proved the better pant of valor, and they
fell back. During this time the condition
Of things in this remote little fortress can
scarcely be imagined or described. Miss
Swanger and Mr.. Thomas were bleeding
profusely from their wounds, while the
little wounded boy lay shrieking and groan-
ing outside. The little fellow lived about
two hours, when death mercifully ended
his sufferings. At one time the poor
mother feared her husband would bleed to
death in spite Of everything she could do,
while the shrieks and groans of the poor
dying boy could be distinctly heard just
outside the door. Miss Swanger at first
bled very freely, but Mrs. Church stuffed
her handkerchief under her sisters dress
and so stopped the flow of blood, while
Mrs. Thomas bound up her husbands arm
and stopped the bleeding which otherwise
would very soon have ended his life.
It then happened that Mrs.
Church and Miss gardner were in one OF
the rooms watching, while the men were
| in the other. They now saw an Indian
lodging behind large oak tree. While
house. No man was handy to ''draw a
bead" upon him, and Mrs. Church picked
up shotgun heavily charged with buck
shot, and leveled it in that direction. Pres
emily the Indian stuck his head out again
farther than before. Mrs. Church says:
81 plainly saw large, dark object by the
side of the tree, which I knew to be the
head of an Indian, and at this discharg-
ed the gun. was terribly excited and fell
back, and cannot tell whether hit him
or not. I certainly wanted 10 kill him."
Miss Gardner, who was watching the In
dian, averred that she plainly saw him fall.
Immediately after this event
the Indians ceased firing and left the place.
When darkness came o. last the beseiged
determined to start sout toward the near
est settlement with on OK team and sled,
which was the only means left them. The
oxen were yoked; hitched to the sled, upon
which were placed such provisions and
clothing as could be carried, with the
wounded and little children. The forlorn
little party, with this poor means of loco
motion, probably started near the middle
of the night, travelling very slowly, as the
ground was covered with snow.
The Churches returned to this county,
where they resided until the spring of this
year, when they went to Washington terri
tory, whittier two of their children and
Miss Swanger (now Mrs. GiIlespie) had
preceded them.
Michael Sweney's remarks were confined
to narrative of the trip, it's hardships and
privations. He told of the death by ex-
posure of Capt. Johnson and Private
Burkholder, near what was known as the
ssIrish colonv". which was located on tha